Panasonic Lumix S1R II review: 44.3MP in a smaller full-frame body
Panasonic's high-resolution full-frame L-Mount body, launched in 2025 at $3,299.99. Who it suits: landscape, studio and hybrid shooters who want resolution and speed in a smaller body.
Product photo of the Panasonic Lumix S1R II with the LUMIX S 50mm F1.8 (not a sample taken with it). Photo: Mateusz Stopczynski via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)
HIGHLIGHTS
Why it exists. The S1R II is Panasonic's high-resolution full-frame L-Mount body, replacing the 2019 S1R. Panasonic calls it "the latest high-resolution model of the Full-Frame mirrorless LUMIX S Series" with "a newly developed 44.3MP BSI CMOS sensor" (Panasonic release, Feb 25, 2025).
A Fred Miranda poster summed it up as a "Good combination of size, capability & price for those looking for a smaller high-res body without significant compromises, but don't need the outright speed (and stacked sensor compromises) of the Z8 or R5II."
Who should buy it? Landscape and studio shooters, and hybrid creators, who want resolution plus speed in a smaller body than the S1R.
The story
Panasonic announced the S1R II on February 25, 2025: "The new LUMIX S1RII will be available in late March for $3299.99 at valued channel partners."
The sensor is not stacked, and owners notice: on the L-Mount Forum, one wrote "I still struggle a bit with the slower-than-Z8 readout" (L-Mount Forum), and Fred Miranda posters wanted a stacked sensor.
Approx. 40 fps with AF tracking (electronic); SH pre-burst
AF
Phase Hybrid AF with AI tracking
Video
8.1K/7.2K (3:2) open gate recording arrived with firmware 1.2, released June 24, 2025.
Mount
L-Mount
Price
$3,299.99 (US), late March 2025
Sample photos
We could not find any openly licensed sample photos taken with the S1R II that we could use, so this review has no sample gallery. The photo at the top is a product photo, not a sample taken with the camera.
Panasonic: Launched at $3,299.99 in 2025 (US)
Verdict
Who it's for: landscape, studio and hybrid shooters who want 44MP and fast bursts in a smaller L-Mount body.
Strengths
44.3MP BSI full-frame sensor
Approx. 177MP handheld high-resolution mode
Approx. 40 fps with AF tracking
Smaller body than the S1R, per owners
Trade-offs
Not a stacked sensor; readout slower than a Z8 (L-Mount Forum owner)
8.1K/7.2K (3:2) open gate recording arrived with firmware 1.2, released June 24, 2025.
